The Silver Bells Are Silent
by lemonade
Summary: Meriol, a foreigner in Spira, is taken in by the Guado, with her father, and driven to the heights of Mt Gagazet by the events that take place in her life afterwards.
1. Acara

The wind whipped through her bedraggled hair in a very clichéd manner, leaving specks of white clinging to the strands and blasting her small, pale face with a stinging cold, but Meriol was past caring about the damage the blizzard would undoubtedly do to her complexion, not to mention how long it would take to fix her hair. It wasn't going to matter, anyway. She was so high now, the wind screaming and the ground so far below, a fall none could surely survive. Meriol had used to be terrified of the wind, of the cold and of heights, but after everything she had been through, everything she had done and had done to her, the heights and blistering cold of Mt Gagazet were almost welcoming. This was part of the reason she was here, it was entirely unlike her. She wanted to end it completely different to how it had begun, how it had become. This was her story, after all, and she was sick and tired of feeling like someone else was writing it, of feeling like she had some sort of writers block because she couldn't guide her life her way, the way she wanted it to go. She was tired of having no control, and this seemed to be the only point of control she had left in her life. Hah, control. Her way. Her story. Such pitiful words they were. Pitiful words at the end, and pitiful words at the beginning, also. Along on the peak of Mt Gagazet, Meriol remembered…  
  
"Mommy, where are you! Mommy, mommy?" A little girl stood in the quiet, empty street, calling for her mother, who wasn't actually far away, though the abandoned dwellings could be deceptive to their inhabitants. To a child, of course, out of earshot is out of existence, out of sight is near enough out of mind.  
"Sorry, dear?" A small woman with a gentle face leaned out of the window. "I'm right here, sweetie. Don't worry, I would never leave you. I'm quite busy packing, though, so why don't you go and play with the other children?"  
"Mommy, I'm scared", Said the little girl, taking a step forward and being careful to avoid tripping over the crumbling cement path. "Where have all the families gone?"  
"At the leaving site, waiting for us", Replied her mother. "Staying was a big mistake for all of us. We should have left six years ago, with everyone else."  
"Leaving? Where are we going? Who is… everyone else?" The little girl wrinkled her forehead in confusion, now at the window, holding her arms up, pleading.  
Her mother laughed. "Silly child, you are too young to understand such things, and yet you ask questions about everything. I shall tell you what I can, though. Our tribe, all the families here, is not everyone. There are millions upon millions of people. So many that they couldn't all live here. More than you can imagine."  
The little girl shut her eyes for a moment, and tried to imagine so many people, but her mother continued.  
"Most of them left here, about half a year before you were born. We should have left too, it isn't safe to live here anymore. We have ruined this place, it isn't stable anymore. It seems safe now, but it won't last. That is why we are travelling to where they went. All of us, finishing the journey, to a place called Spira."  
"So… I get to see miwions and miwions of people?"  
"I don't know dear. We lost a lot of technology after they left. The last ship we have, when we travel in it, it will take many years of their time, but none of ours. Things might have changed there, but there is one thing for sure, Spira will be safe, for you, for me, for us…"  
  
Us… now there was a novel idea. How long did us last? Meriol tried to remember. Years of trying to forget had made the memories fuzzy. Upon arrival in Spira, finding themselves on the shore of Bikanel Island, a place that appeared empty and uninhabitable, the people had taken to the water, in boats of many colours, and had decided to sail and search for a place to settle. There was no land in sight when Sin attacked.  
  
The fighting was horrible, the people had few weapons, had never encountered Sin before, had expected peace. Meriol was screaming. All she could hear was screaming, grief, pain, anger. The Sinspawn shrieked in a violent frenzy. Everyone was dying, falling overboard. The decks were cluttered with bodies, and the in the water, corpses bobbed and floated, limbs drifting about in mock-life. Strange creatures, they were everywhere. In the sky and on the decks, with scales, spikes and teeth. Voices that had never been heard by the people before, striking terror in their hears. Wailing, screaming, the creatures massacred the people.  
"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! Aiii, Mommy, where have you gone? Help me Mommy!" Meriol called to her mother, not knowing that she was already one of the fallen, her unseeing eyes gazing at the sky, only a few steps behind Meriol. Two of the creature, two Sinspawn, were attracted by Meriol's cries. Making high pitched clicking noises and unearthly chirps, they hopped and shuffled closer. Meriol backed away, consumed by the need to put distance between them. They hopped forward again and Meriol jumped back, tripping over. A Sinspawn bared it's teeth and leapt.  
"No!" A man, Meriol's father, darted between them, taking the blow as his own, to protect his daughter. Meriol stood up hurriedly and saw her father , brandishing and iron bar against her attackers. She stood, eyes fixed, for what seemed like hours, before she looked down, too scared to see anymore.  
The Sinspawn grew disinterested in its strange, sickly pale prey which seemed to be fighting back, and backed away from Meriol's father. He turned, picked up his daughter, and jumped into the water with her, fleeing as best he could, thinking only of the life of his daughter.  
The last thing Meriol remembered seeing was her Mothers stiff, lifeless body, the barely recognisable corpse that she had tripped over before her father had stepped in to save her.  
  
They washed up like driftwood later on the banks of the Moonflow, only a few kilometres from Guadosalam, though kilometres weren't a measure of distance ever used before in Spira. Meriol awoke to hundreds of pyreflies, swarming and making a spectacular display of light and colour.  
She sat up, alarmed. Pyreflies were native to Spira, none of the people had ever seen them before, least of all her. A noise beside Meriol startled her, however without looking, she knew it was only her father, and that he was alive, and he had saved her. Though frightened by the foreign surroundings, her father's presence now calmed her. It was impossible for Meriol to comprehend, but Meriol's father had shown great strength, honour and love in rescuing her from Sin. He must have swam so far before washing up, exhausted on this shore. The poor man must have collapsed in exhaustion after making sure his daughter was safe. Neither of them knew it, but in Spira, an act like this formed the bond of the guardian, enhancing both the guardian's and the protected one's magic, and connecting both in the magic of Spira, forever. Young children are commonly impatient and constantly seeking entertainment, but Meriol found herself calm, and sat by her father, watching and waiting for him to wake. Hours passed, and though the bond of the guardian had enabled patience in her, small children tire easily, and Meriol was beginning to drift off. She heard voices, and Meriol thought that she must be dreaming, or somewhere near to it, so she lay down and closed her eyes. The voices continued, but Meriol then did fall asleep.  
  
"Master Seymour, come, we must get back to Guadosalam. You father doubtless will be waiting."  
"Aww Trommel, why?" Came a younger voice. We haven't seen any fiends yet. I wanna find a fiend."  
The older one sighed, and gave in. At least the boy had stopped moping around after his mother. Six months of endless crying, visiting the farplane, just in case. In recent weeks, however, the boy had shown a new resolve. Attentive in his studies and eager to explore the world around him, her must have moved on but… oh, a boy his age, he was such a handful. Now where had he got to?  
Trommells charge had wandered away towards the banks of the Moonflow, and so he hurried to follow.  
"My boy, you shouldn't wander away like that. There are strong fiends in these parts."  
"Trommell, I can handle them. I learnt a new spell, yesterday, did I tell you? … Fira."  
The child was a prodigy, no doubt about that, but even prodigies can get killed by a rogue chimera, no doubt about that, either. Oh, and now he was off again, running through the undergrowth, coming to a clearing on the bank of the Moonflow. There were no fiends there, but the boy had stopped dead in his tracks. Two bodies lay on the beach, people unlike anyone either of them had ever seen.  
  
"Hey, hey, are you ok?" Meriol was shaken awake by an odd-looking blue haired boy, dressed in strange clothes, something she didn't expect. "Hey, wake up!"  
Trommell stood in the background, surveying the scene. Two strangers, foreigners, by their clothing, and definitely not Guado. They were pale, whiter than pyreflies, with hair of unusual hues. How odd, even of the four peoples of Spira known to Trommell, this pair did not fit. This was not good, but the young Master did not seem to notice their differences. Indeed, he looked more like them than like Guado, in some respects. This could most definitely be problematic with the upbringing of the child.  
  
Do not think poorly of the Guado because of Trommell. He was a traditionalist to the point of revolutionary, looking back upon the old days with warm feelings, and looking forward with resentment. Though he disagreed fervently with his Lords advancements, he was a servant, and knew his place, as well as the importance of having a secure place like his in society, so Trommell merely waited, biding his time until he would be able to somehow stop the changes that were happening to his people. He was certainly not, however, typical of the gentle, compassionate and generous Guado people that would take Meriol and her father in, as two of their own.  
  
The boy leant over Meriol and shook her. The first thing she say upon opening her eyes was his piercing smokey blue eyes, holding her wavering gaze. With sleep riddled eyes, she took him in, blue hair, strange, flowing clothes that looked terribly impractical to Meriol, and a face that looked like it had seen pain, such a lot of pain, yet he had the innocence of youth. Meriol blinked, he didn't look scary, her and her Daddy would be safe.  
"Hey, do you talk?" Asked the boy, tugging at a strand of her hair, a colour he had never seen before in any place but the farplane. "What's your name? Where are you from? Are you Guado? How did you end up on the Moonflow? Did you get attacked by fiends?"  
Meriol was confused by the torrent of questions, most of which she did not understand, but tried to answer anyway. "Um… my name is Meriol Rijttafel."  
Silence followed as Meriol tried to remember the next question.  
"Where are you from?" The boy asked again.  
"I… I don't know." Said Meriol. "Ask my Daddy. Oh… please, my Daddy, he needs help." Meriol had forgotten her father in the confusion, but he was lying beside her, drained, and likely unable to wake.  
"Okay, I can heal him." Said the boy, turning away. "By the way, my name is Seymour. Seymour Guado." 


	2. Rencana

For many years after, Meriol was raised by the Guado, instructed about the history of her people by her father, and educated about Spira by Seymour. She spent most of her time with Seymour, her teaching him as much as he taught her, about her homeland, where there was no Sin, yet more danger than Spira could ever hold. Her father held a job as researcher, as even before the journey, he had a fascination with the inexplicable, such as pyreflies, and Sin. Though Lord Jyscall gave her father funds enough to support the two of them, when she was old enough, Meriol still felt obligated to take a job, as all the Guado people were expected when they came of age.  
  
Seymour and Meriol were out fiend hunting, as usual. Seymour's father was entertaining guest again, and Meriol's was off on yet another fact finding expedition. Sometimes Meriol was bewildered by the interest her father had in all things Spira, but he had made many discoveries about Sin, and Meriol had other things on her mind. Trommell was busy, so Meriol and Seymour had snuck out again, shirking their studies. Again. They wouldn't be missed for hours, so the powerful pair saw this as an opportunity to hone their skills, already unusually exceptional for their age.  
"Think we'll find something this time, Sey?" Asked Meriol.  
"Kidding? This patch has the most boring fiends I've ever fought, but we can't exactly sneak out onto the thunder plains, can we?"  
"True, we can't. Feh, hope I don't have to end up guarding the thunder plains entrance as my allocated job."  
"Who say's you have to have an allocated job?" Asked Seymour, stooping to pick up a stick on the path in front of him.  
"How can you say that? Every Guado… well, most, get a job at my age. The is no choice in the matter." Meriol eyed her companion carefully. "Up to something?"  
"Just thinking." Said Seymour, rustling the bushes next to the path with his newly acquired stick, hoping to rouse some fiends. "You're not really Guado…"  
"Don't you say that." Meriol hissed, as usual, painfully aware of her precarious position amongst the Guado. "I live here too. I study here. I'm going to be a productive member of society. I'm as much Guado as anyone in the hollow."  
"You know what I mean." Seymour said. "You wouldn't be forced to get a job unless you asked for it, and in addition to that… Meri, you're my friend."  
"So you'll use your influence to keep me unemployed?" Meriol picked up a rock and threw it at a tree. The grasses shuffled below the tree, but no fiends appeared. "That sounds stupid, and a waste of time and effort. Not at all like you." She winked, and skipped ahead.  
"That's not my intent." Seymour said, catching up to her. "I could simply request your service at the palace."  
"Work for you?" Asked Meriol, bewildered. "You'd be a terrible boss, I'm sure."  
"Admittedly, it might be weird, but I don't think I would be that bad." Said Seymour, looking hurt. "You could just keep me company. You know I enjoy your company."  
"Eh? Well ok." Said Meriol. "It sounds better than thunder guard."  
Seymour took of at a run, putting considerable distance between him and his friend before calling out, "and you can peel me grapes and massage my feet!"  
Meriol chased after him, laughing. Spending even more time with Sey, this would be a riot. And no thunder duty.  
  
Thunder duty, Meriol hated it. Boring and windy, what was the point? Get cold and wet and tired, and ignored by passer bys. It had been Seymour's warped idea of a joke to get her to do this for today instead of her regular duties of absolutely nothing. Seymour… he was sitting in a wind-sheltered cave behind her, studying Yevon's teachings. His forehead would be creased in thought, his long hair falling over his face, he's brush it away and laugh, for no particular reason and… Meriol shook herself out of the daydream. He would be inside studying Yevon's teachings, engrossed in something Meriol didn't understand. Meriol had never taken to Yevonism, though she had adjusted quickly to life in Spira. She just couldn't bring herself to believe that humanity could do anything as bad as to deserve Sin, but though she found the teachings boring, she longed to be in there with him. For one thing, it would be warm and dry, but that was not what made it so attractive. Seymour would be in there, and there was nothing Meriol liked more than to be in Seymour's company. Meriol wss in love with Seymour. She had known this for a fairly long time now. He, however, seemed oblivious to her feelings, as witty, sweet and playfully annoying as ever, never noticing the stolen glances or the secret sighs. This only seemed to make Meriol love him all the more, despite the pouring rain and freezing wind of thunderguard duty.  
  
"Ah-tsu!" Meriol sneezed and sniffed, certain this was more than just her usual dust allergy. She was probably going to get sick. Curse that irresistibly cute half-Guado, were her thoughts, just before someone tapped her on the shoulder. After jumping about five feet into the air, Meriol turned around.  
"Milady, you've done three hours, you are relived." Said a nervous looking Guado worker, trying to bow and hold her gaze at the same time.  
Though only a handmaiden, a mere servant, Meriol was friend and rumoured consort to the Lord's son. This, in addition to the fact that her pale skin was luminous in the light of the thunder plains, meant that Meriol commanded respect from the worker, even as she smiled and shrugged, thanking him for relieving her. Whilst longing for more than rumour, Meriol relished the privileges she received, and stayed some extra minutes to inform the Guado worker of the changes thunder guard duty should go through. 


	3. Masa Depan

Seymour sighed. The books were getting boring and he didn't need to study anyway. Thunderguard duty, heh, that was a good joke. Meriol made it a point, every day, to complain at least once about working for Seymour, with a twinkle in her eye and a playful nudge. He knew she was grateful for providing cover so that they could just hang out all day, but Seymour had, as a practical joke, volunteered his handmaiden for thunderguard duty, proclaiming loudly that she had forgotten her place and needed punishment. So now Meriol was out there, in the wind and rain, watching for travellers, fiends, and unusually bad weather. The only downside was that Seymour could not be out there with her, as Trommell was afraid that the young heir might get hurt, so Seymour was forced to compromise to study in this cave while Meriol entertained the clouds with her defiant personality. Huh, the clouds instead of him, now that was comically wrong. She was out there now, probably freezing. He yearned to go outside, wrap his arms around her, keep her safe and warm forever, but that was ridiculous. He was a half-Guado, how could anyone ever love and ugly half-breed like him? No way, Meriol didn't love him. No doubt she liked him as a friend, enjoyed the privileges she received, and possibly even pitied him and this, this was no doubt a childish crush he maintained. Why hadn't she come in yet? Seymour knew Meriol was dedicated and stubborn but she should have come in by now, given up by now. He wanted her to, so that he could enjoy the joke, and then her company. Had he gone too far? Meriol violently hated thunderguard, what if she was out there hating him for this, compacting her hatred of thunderguard and channelling it towards him? Heafd in his hands, Seymour regretted his actions. He had probably made the biggest mistake in his life. Blown it, mucked up, thrown away the blitzball, she would never love him now. She would never love him now. In a way, this provoked Seymour to atone for his foolish and annoying actions. It was worth a try.  
"What's wrong?" A shadow fell over Seymour's moping figure. "Need a grape peeled?"  
That voice, it was Meriol, she had come in. She joked, and smiled at him, she didn't hate him after all.  
"No, just this holy truth. It's so amazing." Seymour deliberately tried to rile the foreigners distrust of Yevon. But no, this wasn't the right way to win her love, was it? This was the relationship pattern he had grown complacent in, keeping her at arms length with teasing, lest she discover his feelings and be disgusted. No, no he loved her, and was tired of hiding. Seymour decided he must tell her, must tell her now, or soon.  
  
Meriol tentatively looked into the cave. She didn't understand why she was afraid. There he was, someone she had seen every day for as far back as she could remember. Why did he make her nervous? She was close to telling him how she felt, she was sure. That must be the reason for the nerves. The jovial façade was wearing on her. A handmaidens love… Meriol knew it was worth nothing in Guado tradition. This boy was royalty, too good for her. He would reject her, it would ruin their friendship, and he would hate her for it, be disgusted by the emotions she couldn't control, so why did this knowledge only serve to make her bolder?  
  
"Come, sit here. Said Seymour, gesturing to the space beside him. He wanted her close to him, Yevon how he needed her. "You look freezing."  
Meriol sat beside him, her insides churning with butterflies. This was it, she was going to tell him. Oh, she could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and had to fight to restrain herself from leaning into him.  
"Thanks." Meriol said, and laughed, nervously. "I'm ok, really."  
"Meriol, I'm sorry for setting you on thunderguard." May as well apologise first. "It was a stupid joke."  
"No, It's alright." Replied Meriol. "I needed a reminder of how easy I have it. It was only three hours, anyway."  
"But look, you're shivering with cold." Said Seymour. He put an arm around her and tried to warm her up. "I have to tell you something."  
Meriol, previously comfortable in his embrace, stiffened. She was started by this. Had he noticed? Was he going to place her permanently on thunderguard and then never speak to her again?  
"Sey? What could you possibly have to say?" Meriol asked. Yevon, that sounded stupid. So what, though? Cast her away, maybe his rejection would bring closure.  
"I… it doesn't matter." Said Seymour. "Forget I was going to say anything."  
"Um… sure." Meriol was relieved. Thank Yevon, he has decided that it doesn't matter. We can still be friends. Meriol made a definite decision not to tell Seymour. He probably already knew anyway.  
Seymour payed careful attention to Meriol as she dried herself with one of the thunderguard standard issue towels, and stepped behind a screen to change. He felt sure she had known what he was going to say. She looked relieved! Seymour sighed. He couldn't tell her, which was best, because he felt sure she didn't like him, didn't love him. Meriol finished drying and changing and stepped out from behind the screen. Seymour took her hand and bowed in the traditional Guado fashion.  
"Come, as a reward for your diligence in thunderguard, I arranged for us to go on a fiend hunt down the Moonflow."  
"Ooh! Shoopuff involved?" Asked Meriol, determined not to make the situation and more awkward.  
"Yeah, I figured we could go across the river and catch some elementals." Said Seymour. "I'll do the fighting, as usual. You can… stand around and watch."  
"Watch… you?" Meriol asked, struggling to feign disinterest. "Now why would I want to do that?"  
Seymour was hurt, though he tried hard not to show it. Certain that she meant this as a sign to back off, he did just that.  
There was silence for a few minutes as they walked. It frustrated Meriol, the silence. She attributed it to her own shortcomings, as handmaiden, entertainer. It was more than just peeling grapes, Meriol had to shield Seymour from boredom and pain, a job she took seriously, even if Seymour didn't. Maybe it was her love of him that made her want to protect him so much, or maybe it was protecting him that made her love him. Yevon, the silence was killing her. Seymour must have noticed, because he was staring at her, just staring. Probably wondering what went wrong. Yevon knows Meriol was.  
  
Seymour just stared at Meriol, just stared. Why did he love her so much? She was always there for him, always trying her best to make him smile, always ready with a witty complaint or compliment or some odd comment. Always there, always ready. Whenever Seymour was talking to her, there was no doubt she was paying complete attention to him, whenever they were together she was attentive and caring only about what he was feeling. If he didn't know better he'd think… but no, he did know better. She was way too good for a halfie like him. He dreaded the day she would leave Guadosalam, it had to happen. She would go to Bevelle, possibly, meet someone there and leave him for good. Gah, that was far too painful to think about. He had to find some way to avert any possibility of that occurance, but for now, he would try the next best thing.  
"Meriol, promise me you'll never leave me."  
"I promise." She whispered, and she meant it, whether Seymour knew it or not. 


	4. Andaikata

As they walked down to the docks on the Moonflow, that awkward silence just begging to be broken again, Seymour asked Meriol if she would mind him blindfolding her. This, although she certainly didn't know it, was his backup plan. He remembered his resolve of late, to tell her, there was no backing down now.  
  
"What?" Squeaked Meriol, startled. This seemed so romantic but she pushed the thought from her mind. She had to stop building up false hopes. It wasn't possible. He didn't love her. Royalty, for crying out loud. He would marry someone with political importance one day, there wasn't a doubt about it. Marriage for the people, that was what Guado aristocracy was all about, and she had no place in such affairs. Nevertheless, how could she say no? Meriol contrived to come up with a witty acceptance. "O… okay, but don't let me walk into anything. Don't walk me into a tree, tempting though it may be."  
  
Seymour laughed, a sound that was music to Meriol's ears, like silver bells in a gentle blowing wind. "Meriol, you are as precious to me as the sunrise. I would sooner join the Al Bhed than allow you to be hurt."  
  
Seymour was working up the nerve to tell her how he felt, dropping hints now that would make it easier later, to tell her how much he loved her. Meriol, however, now blindfolded, was fuming. How dare he be so nice, so seemingly romantic, when she knew he didn't love her? Taunting her. Her was leading her on, it seemed, it was cruel.  
  
Seymour felt a pang of regret as he put his arms on Meriol's shoulders to guide her. So many times he had been this close, so many times he had scared himself into keeping quiet. This was it, either the beginning of something more beautiful than he could imagine, or the end of their friendship, and he was going to tell her this time, even though he may regret it later if it meant losing her. He wanted to tell her, he would face rejection for it, he was sure, but how could he be so sure? It would be better than this, anyway. Anything was better this, anything was better than not knowing, being in constant doubt of his future, constant yearning, constant wonder.  
  
Guided along the path, Meriol reminded herself of all the good times she had had with Seymour. Such a wonderful friend he was, she couldn't stay mad at him. He was probably doing this to somehow console her, she thought, to make her see that friendship could be enough.  
  
The air warmed as they left the forest and came to the bank, a clear place where white sand met the oily dark Moonflow river. Moonlily petals washed up on the sure, making random patterns. Some of the older Guado women still read fortunes with the patterns of Moonlily petals, but the faith of Yevonism was quickly replacing the old superstitions. The dock fitted perfectly with it's surroundings, not despoiling the environment like other docks, docks Meriol's father had told her about. The Moonflow river was oily black anyway, so even if the docks polluted it, there would be no noticeable difference. Nothing in Spira damaged the environment, that was one of the benefits of the Yevon doctrines, in Meriol's opinion, benefits were few and far between. Even the docks around Luca there pretty clean, and that place was the closest thing Spira had to a metropolis.  
  
A shoopuff party was just coming over when Seymour lifted Meriol's blindfold.  
  
Meriol gasped at the sight, as she always did. The Moonflow, so beautiful, so mysterious, so terrible, connected to the waters that took the lives of her tribe, yet essential to the life of the forest and the Guado.  
  
"Well, what do you think?" Asked Seymour, gesturing towards a group of shoopuff. "Do you like it?"  
  
"I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking at."  
  
"Its your very own shoopuff. It's the one on the near left, next to that big one." Said Seymour, before continuing. "Consider it a token of my… er… love."  
  
So overwhelmed by the prospect of owning a shoopuff, Meriol barely heard his last statement. Seymour had both hoped for and feared this and as he watched the love of his life run to inspect her gift, he reflected.  
  
She hadn't cringed, or turned away, but then again, she hadn't really listened, had she? Maybe - glomp! Seymour was distracted from his thinking by an enthusiastic Meriol, who leapt at Seymour and wrapped her arms around him. The force nearly made him stumble, as did what she said next.  
  
"Oh, Seymour, thankyou so very much! I love you, I love you, I love you so much!" She said. "You are the most wonderful, beautiful person in the world!"  
  
She loved him? She loved him! Seymour was amazed, happy beyond belief, speechless. He just stood there, a stunned look on his face, unmoving.  
  
"Oh…" Meriol let go of him and stepped away. "I'm sorry. I know you don't feel the same way. I shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have said that. I'll just go attend to my shoopuff now."  
  
Seymour awoke from his stupour immediately. "Meriol, wait! I do love you. It's just… yevon…" Seymour paused, searching for the right words. "Yevon knows I never knew you felt the same way. Never thought you could."  
  
"Well… I do." Said Meriol, as Seymour stepped forward and put his arms around her. "I do, so very much it's painful. I have for so long… so long…"  
  
The couple just stood there, in each others embrace, in love, as the sun set over the Moonflow and the pyreflies came out, lighting the Moonflow and the two of them in majestic, flickering colour.  
  
It was beautiful, sure enough. Meriol reflected later. Beautiful but deadly, like so many other things in Spira, like Mt Gagazet, where the sharp winds cut into her, like the constant storms on the thunder plains, like the unfathomable depth of the lake under Macalania temple, Meriol and Seymour's lives would be forever tainted by their love. A single kiss can ruin a human life.  
  
"What do we do now?" Asked Meriol, stepping up the ladder onto the shoopuff.  
  
"I hadn't thought of that. Never actually accounted for this, though I think O prepared myself for every kind of rejection possible." Said Seymour, following her up and detaching the ladder. "I didn't think I was good enough for you."  
  
"You are the son of Lord Jyscal. It is I, a mere handmaiden, who is not worthy for you." Said Meriol, looking distant. "That is what I fear."  
  
"Meriol, you are a handmaiden by choice, my best friend, and the most eloquent, beautiful and intelligent woman I know. I can't live without you. I won't live without you." Said Seymour. "I don't care about your position in Guado society."  
  
Looking at him in the eyes, free now from the fear she had harboured for so long, Meriol replied, "I know now that you… love me." Yevon, that knowledge alone made her heart soar. "But whilst my position in society does not bother you, doubtless it will bother other people. Lord Jyscal, Sir Tromell… the Guado people will not be happy."  
  
"Meri, sweet Meri, a new age is dawning. If they can't see it, they are blind. I won't lose you to politics as well. If you aren't confident, then we can keep this secret, much as I want to yell it from the rafters. We can take this one day at a time."  
  
"Well take it one day at a time?" Meriol echoed. "I like that."  
  
Seymour smiled and jumped down to the drivers seat.  
  
"But first." He said. "We have some fiends to hunt." 


End file.
